Arnie Visits for Christmas
by Inudaughter Returns
Summary: Arnie keeps ruining Arnold's Christmas- or so he thinks until his cousin saves him from falling through thin ice with a lasso yank. After that, he realizes that it was jealousy eating away his Christmas merriment.
1. Chapter 1

Christmas time had never been festive for Arnold in the same way it was for other kids. His Grandmother tended to mix up the holidays, and so his Christmas had often become other holidays in the scramble of his Grandmother's mind. Everyone tended to go along with it until Christmas day when, no matter what holiday she thought it was, Pookie could be convinced to play Christmas carols on the sitting room piano of their old fashioned parlor. The wallpaper was extra-fancy in there, even if a little stained in places. The television could be easily moved to the wall to the accommodate a Christmas tree, and on this occasion it might not have to. That was because this year, Grandpa Phil had asked Ernie Potts to pick the tree. He and Arnold had come from an appointment to Phil's eye doctor to a startling sight. Phil removed his new glasses, rubbed them, put them back on, then said,"consarn it! The eye doctor must have got the prescription for my glasses all wrong! That Christmas tree there seems as big as a house!"

"Ugh, Grandpa, I don't think that's your glasses."

"Hi guys!" Ernie Potts waved to them from the window seat of his wrecking ball machine. The wrecking ball, thankfully, had been removed. The carefully poised tree had been chained to it instead. The other boarders were working to secure it with cinder blocks, stakes, and metal cables. "How do you like the Christmas tree I picked up? A real beauty, huh?!"

"Consarn it!" Grandpa Phil said, cross. "How in tarnation is that thing going to fit in the house, yah nitwit?"

"Well, we could keep it outside the house, Grandpa!" Arnold offered in hopes to bring back peace to his household. The idea sunk deep and immediately the two adults stopped their bickering, mercifully. Grandma Pookie pranced out of the house wearing elf shoes.

"North Pole, here I come!" she said with delirium. "Hum, I wonder how much pay Santa is offering hourly? Don't worry, Arnold, I'll prove him that I've got the stuff to be an elf! I'll be promoted in no time!" Humming happily, Arnold's Grandma propped a ladder up next to the tree and climbed it to begin hanging ornaments.

"Uh, Grandma?" Arnold asked at the sight of the tree. "Can I bring some of my friends to hang ornaments?"

"Of course, Arnold!" said his Grandma climbing down the ladder to hand Arnold the box. "Here! You go round up you friends. I'll go inside and bake some cookies for you all."

"Thanks, Grandma," Arnold smiled with content. He set the box down near the tree and strolled off to find his friends. Sid was lurking in an alley near his house, a rock in his hand aimed at a dumpster.

"Hey Sid!" Arnold said. The boy missed his throw, leading to some interesting sounds and cursing. "Do want to come by my house? We're putting ornaments on the tree!"

"Well, I could!" Sid said glancing down the alleyway. Stinky Peterson was there, too.

"Yeah, can I?" Stinky asked politely. Arnold swept his arm through the air like a rolling ocean wave.

"Of course! You're welcome, Stinky!"

"Well, alright!" Stinky said. They all strolled in the direction of his house. After Arnold had left his two friends at his house with the ornaments, he snuck off to see if anyone else was near.

"Gerald?" Arnold said on finding the boy at his home. "Are you doing anything today?"

"Well, yeah!" Gerald shrugged. The boy wore an apron. He had been mixing up a bowl full of waffle batter as Arnold had walked in. His mother was sizzling up a pan full of eggs on the stove top.

"Well, yeah!" said Gerald. "We're expecting some of my cousins to drop by! But if I have time later, I'll drop by!"

"Okay," Arnold stated flatly. That Gerald was busy was a bit of a disappointment.

"Not so, Gerald!" his mother said taking Gerald's apron. "I'll finish up here, Gerald. You and your friend go on!"

"Really? Thanks, Mom!" Relieved of his chores, Gerald hustled out of the kitchen and out onto his stoop. He pulled at the collar of his jersey.

"Whew! Relatives visiting is nice. But it sure gets a little hectic."

"Hm," Arnold said, his mind now in a faraway place. "I guess."

"Whaddya mean, I guess?" Gerald prompted. His sullen friend finally replied. "Well you remember my cousin Arnie? Well, he'll be arriving tomorrow to visit."

"Aw. Again?!" Gerald fussed.

"It's only for two weeks this time. Honest!" Arnold said. "It won't be so bad!"

"Hm. So where's the tree?" said Gerald trying not to make an issue out of it.

"In the backyard," said Arnold. Both boys looked up. Harold Berman was hanging off the giant tree halfway up gobbling down the candy canes. The tree teetered and fell.

"Timber!" Ernie Potts cried as people scrambled away from the tree for their life.

"Hm," Arnold said as he observed the aftermath of chaos.

In the end, Grandpa Phil sawed the top of the tree off the oversized one and carried it into the house. The contrite renters cleaned up the yard and chopped the rest of the tree into kindling. But Arnold's friends gathered round the tree in the parlor to decorate it. Then Arnold heard a ring at the door.

"Ding-dong!" his doorbell rang. "Ding-ding, ding-dong!" Arnold swung open the door and poked his head out onto the stoop. Helga pulled his door open wide and swept past him. Phoebe scuttled after her like a tiny ocean crab.

"Alright, where's the tree ya called me about?!" the girl said stamping toward the living room.

"Right there!" Arnold said. With a smile upending her practiced frown, Helga took a string of tinsel from a box to hang. Then Arnold heard the doorbell ring. He returned to the door.

"Oh!" he said with disappointed shock. "You're early."

"Yup! Sniff!" his cousin Arnie snuffed. Pretending to be pleased, Arnold brought the boy inside.

"Alright! There's a room we're not renting out you can stay in. I'll help you get settled!" Arnie passed by the living room door.

"What's going on?" the boy said before snorting. Arnold's friends stared at the boy they all recognized from some months ago.

"Hi Helga!" said Arnie.

"Oh. Hi," said Helga.

"I can help decorate the tree!" said Arnie.

"Well, you can help if you want to," Arnold spoke passively. He held up some clusters of fake fruit on a string.

"Thanks," his cousin said.

"Um, so Arnold's cousin?" Stinky Peterson asked as politely as possible. "Are y'all coming to school with us tomorrow?"

"Two weeks," the boy mumbled while blinking, one eye at a time. Arnold distracted himself by taking a cookie from a plate and pouring himself a glass of milk.

"Well, I guess that sounds, dandy!" said Stinky. But why'all are you out here instead of wintering the holidays with your folks?"

"My folks thought it'd be good for me to keep Arnold company. So he's not lonely."

"Lonely?!" Arnold sputtered out, spewing the glass of milk he had been drinking all over the floor and down his shirt. He wiped his mouth with the back arm of his shirt. "I'm not lonely! You don't have to feel pity for me!" Arnie blinked his disturbing one-eye-at-a-time-blink.

"Well, we'll let ourselves out," said Stinky Peterson. "We'll see ya tomorrow at school Arnold!"

"Yeah. See ya, ol' Arnoldo!" Helga said stamping out. Arnold watched the girl he had a soft spot for go, then closed the door shut softly behind her.

"Do ya wanna play parcheesi?" Arnie offered.

"Hm," Arnold said, seeking the strength of patience inside himself that he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't winter school recess yet. There were a few days of school remaining but it was that time of year when the teachers all decked the halls with construction paper garlands in red and green. Arnold might expect a lot of holiday oriented lessons from Mr. Simmons when he arrived at school. But for now, as he walked down the street to school, Arnold could see plenty of evidence of Christmas abounding all around him. Balsam wreaths had been hung on several of the old tenement houses. Also, Christmas shopping season had arrived in Hillwood (ever since Thanksgiving) so all of the stores on Arnold's block had mannequins with wearing Santa hats, plush toys holding stockings stuffed full of store goods, or some other such display to entice its patrons to come inside during the least spend-thrift time of the year. The desperation of handwritten shop signs had kicked it up a notch with offers of free eggnog samples and steep discounts. The vast, overhead billboard's holiday themes, too, whether it was women dressed in red velvet or a car wearing a ludicrously huge bow. The atmosphere might have been crushing but it was, in a way, the city's way of operating a temporary theme park. It was intended to overwhelm.

Ordinarily, Arnold would have enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere better. But his feet were cold and Arnie was walking along beside him. The two had missed the school bus by seconds and now, instead of getting to chat with Gerald, he was stuck wading through the half-shoveled snow on the streets.

On the streets, adults shoveled and salted the walks. A tow-truck lifted up a snow-covered car onto the flatbed of a truck. Arnold watched the effort with a frown as they passed it, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets and his hair drooping as if an expression of his dejection. He then glanced sideways.

"Too bad we missed the bus," said Arnold trying not to cut too deep at his cousin. But to mention the fault at all was the beginning of quarrel in a way.

"Yup," Arnie said continuing his shuffle. Arnie did not apologize, and really, Arnold should not have expected him to either. Arnold sighed. Then he pointed ahead.

"There! Let's cross or we'll have to wait another ten minutes!" Arnold said pointing to a blinking crosswalk sign. The boys begin to cross over the street. Arnie's walk was excruciatingly slow. Arnold reined in his walk, pacing in place in order to not leave Arnie. A woman with a metal walker blew past both boys on her way across the street. When Arnold and Arnie finally made it across the street, the traffic had revved up their motors. Just as the traffic light turned green, Arnold and Arnie's feet touched the safety of the sidewalk. There, they were splattered with the gray mush that is spun up by the tires of vehicles. Arnold wiped the slop off his nose.

"Agh! Well, here's school! The first bell's ringing by the looks of it, so we'll be alright!" Arnold scooted inside Mr. Simmons classroom a nimbly as he could. He hurtled himself down into his vacant chair.

"What took you, Arnoldo?" Helga groused at the boy. But Arnold smiled softly as he swiveled his back towards the billboard and their teacher. Mr. Simmons had already begun speaking when Arnie tottered into the room.

Arnold sat down to lunch. His friends Gerald, Stinky, Sid, and Eugene chatted all around him. Then Eugene left and Arnie sat down in the empty table seat. Blinking, Stinky and Sid got up to vanish elsewhere in a barely concealed rudeness. Only Gerald did not balk to be in Arnie's presence.

"Sniff," Arnie said looking down at his sandwich before eating it. Arnold fished his eyes around.

"Say, err, Arnie? I know it might be a little rude to ask but about your sniffing… do you have allergies?"

"No," Arnie said blinking. "It's my nasal passages. I'm scheduled to have surgery this spring to correct the problem."

"Oh, thank cherry Yahoo!" Arnold said rolling his eyes up towards heaven. His cousin's constant snorting always annoyed him.

"Say, Arnold," said Gerald. "I've wanted to ask you. I thought your Dad was your grandparents' only child? Where'd Arnie come from?"

"Well, he's really more of a second cousin!" Arnold explained. "My Grandma had a brother! That's where all the blond hair in the family comes from, really, it's her side of the family tree." Arnold flicked a crumb of his sandwich as if would make the topic less awkward. But at least this meant he had a little more space from Arnie. His voice took on a little bit of a positive lift.

"Yup," Arnie nodded. He pulled a billfold wallet from his trousers. "My second cousin here, Arnold, is the only one we know of from my Grandfather's side. So we treat him special. Sniff! But my Pa has lots of siblings. So I've got other cousins. See, here is a picture of us at my Pa's last family reunion. Snort!" Arnie lifted the tiny photo in the billfold high. Arnold grimaced with undisguised jealousy. A stab of shock ran through him as he looked at the picture.

"Wow!" said Gerald supporting the billfold and its picture on the palm of his hand and he squinted one eye at it. Perhaps he'd be wearing glasses soon.

"I can't believe it! How many cousins do you have?"

"Fifty-four," sniffed Arnie. "Fifty-three if you don't include Arnold."

"How come no one ever told me?" Arnold glowered at his sandwich. His eye rolled down with fury as he fought the turmoil within himself. But it was almost guaranteed that for the remainder of his day, the boy would feel cranky.

"They're related to me," said Arnie in his dullest voice. "But they are only strangers for you."

"Hmm!" Arnold mulled over this new development.

"Well, you sure are lucky, Arnie!" said Gerald handing back the photo in its billfold.

"Hm. Lucky," Arnold mused, thinking deeply. He propped one hand on the back of a chair as he stared off into the space between vending machines. "I have only one cousin. And it's Arnie!" Arnold muttered softly to himself.

Arnold's stare was not his habitual friendliness as he lurked on the school park bench by himself. He watched Arnie converse with some of the other kids of school while Lila Sawyer swooned over him at a distance. Arnold was surprised when he found a shoulder and an upper arm bumped against his own in a powerful nudge. The boy nearly fell over, but leaned back hard to correct his posture. Then he turned to get a good view of his tormenter. It was Helga.

"Wow. What are you doing here being broody?" Helga asked Arnold bluntly. Her best friend Phoebe stood beside her holding a four-square court ball.

"Well, I don't really have a good reason for it," said Arnold brushing his knees off. "Excuse me!"

Class time resumed. "Alright, people!" Mr. Simmons said with so much cheer and excitement he grit his teeth together. He was wearing a Santa hat. "Now it's time for the present exchange! Everyone, we will now give out the presents you all brought! We will all draw numbers for them!"

"Aw, you mean one person wins all the presents?" complained Harold as he stood up in his chair. "That's not fair!"

"No, Harold!" Mr. Simmons exclaimed kindly. "Everyone gets exactly one present. But to determine what that present will be, we will all draw numbers to match them up, one kid to one present! Does that make sense?"

"Aw! Yes, I guess so!" said Harold. He sat back down in his seat.

The kids all drew slips of paper shaped like Christmas ornaments out of an old bowler hat. Arnold took one as the hat reached his desk. He read the number out loud.

"Present number four. That doesn't sound too bad," Arnold said. He looked up as Mr. Simmons held the first present up at the front of the class.

"Present number one!" he said. The package was so enormous it looked as if it would be impossible to lift. "Nadine?"

"Here!" Nadine said as she jogged forward to claim her gift. Soon all the children had their presents. Some had torn into them. Some were slowly unwrapping them. But Arnold kept his allotted present on his desk. He stared down at it.

"Hm, are ya gonna open your present, Arnold?" Gerald asked him. "I got me a cd! Maybe I'll come over to your house this afternoon to play it!"

"My present is awfully small," Arnold complained as he examined the box. Helga was rocking tiny wooden rocking horse figurine back and forth with her finger. Sid was wearing a beanie cap. Lila was hugging a giant, pink, plush unicorn that draped over both sides of her desk. Phoebe was racing an electric car.

"Well, okay!" Arnold said looking down at the box. He tore the package open. "A plastic miniature of a pig?" Arnold remarked feeling its snout with his finger. "Well, I like pigs, so I guess it's not so bad! What did you get Arnie?" Arnold looked down at Arnie's box. It was even bigger than the one Arnold had received. Arnie ripped open the box.

"Oooh! A fifty dollar gift certificate to Toys-M-Breeze? You can select any toy you want yourself! Who gave this?!"

"I did!" said Rhonda examining her polished nails. "I didn't want to bother deciding for you. So go ahead, Arnie! Enjoy your present! And maybe you can use some of the money to buy Arnold a better toy than the second some poor sod gave him."

"Thanks," Arnie sniffed. He stuffed the gift certificate in his pocket.

"Um." Arnold murmured to himself.

"Sorry Arnold! Gerald said as Arnold put the toy away in his desk. "That's how raffles go! But I'll be sure to get you a really good present!"

"No ties!" Arnold warned as he grinned to do their best friend's thumb shake thing.

"Nah!" Gerald promised with a broad smile.

The last school bell rang. Arnold got up to stroll out the door. But Nadine balked at the exit. She stood slightly right of the door.

"What's going on?" Arnold asked loudly. Nadine looked up to the top of the door. A green sprig had been hung in the doorway.

"What's that?" asked Arnold, holding up his textbook by one hand.

"It's mistletoe!" Nadine said. She stared unblinking at the offending green.

"Who hung it?" Arnold said, his head wheeling with suspicions.

"I did!" said Rhonda. "It's about time people embraced the truth of their romantic infatuations!"

"Um, I'm not walking through that door!" said Nadine.

"Me, neither!" Sid griped. A backup of kids piled by the door.

"Oh, come on Nadine! It's perfectly safe!" said Rhonda. "Look, no one's walking through right now! You can go through!"

"Well, alright!" said Nadine. She peered through the door.

"See, the coast is clear!" said Rhonda supporting her friend. Nadine walked through the door followed by Rhonda.

"Rhonda my dear!" shouted Curly hurdling himself back into the classroom through the door. Rhonda stepped backwards just in time to avoid him.

"Oh no! I wasn't under the mistletoe, yet! Here, you go first Helga!" Rhonda shouted venomously. Helga got jostled forward. Curly fell flat on the ground. Then Brainy stepped into the door, one finger finger lifted as he grinned with hope.

"Oh, no!" yelped Helga. She whirled around to grapple with Rhonda, shoving the girl forward with a nudge. "You go first! It was your idea, braniac!"

"No, no, no! I insist YOU go first!" said Rhonda with fake politeness. Heaving a sigh and rolling his eyes, Gerald took Phoebe's hand.

"'Scuze us!" the boy said. He and Phoebe walked through the door as all the other kids stepped aside. Gerald paused for a moment to press a small on Phoebe's cheek.

"Why, thank you Gerald!" Phoebe said with a small giggle. Arnold slunk out the door after Arnold and Phoebe. Even Helga slunk out separately, cautious that Brainy would pop up again. Arnie exited the classroom, too. He would be here for about one and half more weeks!


	3. Chapter 3

Arnold's last day at school before holiday break hadn't been great. But at least he was free from school for now. Maybe Arnold's holidays would improve. Arnold was very hopeful as he and his cousin Arnie rode the bus home. Arnold watched Helga and Phoebe chatter two seats back and to the side from himself and Gerald. Out of the corner of his eye, Arnold could see Harold writing his name in ink on the back of the bus seat like everyone knew he shouldn't be. With a hunter's grin, Helga stood up enough in the back of the bus to shoot a rubber band at Harold with enough force to knock his hat off. Then she chortled.

Arnold opened a sketchbook to look at. Its pages were covered with odd drawings such as flying pigs and diagrams of peanut butter sandwiches with experimental ingredients that went way past marshmallow-cream-filling. Arnold turned another page showing a vivid jungle of his dreams. But then an annoying someone covered his eyes with their hands.

"Helga, get off!" Arnold guessed. Judging by the snicker he heard, his guess was right.

"Yeah, it's me, Arnold!" Helga grinned. Stood upright in the seat behind his, Helga bent out of sight to retrieve a red and white gift-wrapped parcel from her bag.

"Here ya go, my weird-headed, geeky classmate! A present for you," the girl said with an effort to downplay its importance. Helga turned her back away from Arnold and his present with a sniff, but she did not move away. Instead, she watched Arnold out of the corner of her eye. She kept her arms folded defensively in front of her body.

"Wow, Helga," stated with mild surprise. "That's thoughtful of you." A bit of a grin tugged at Arnold's lips. From the outside, the Christmas present looked meager. But at least a present was a present. Arnold smiled lightly.

"Yeah, well, it's better than nothin'! So you'd better be grateful!" Helga griped wagging a finger at Arnold. But Helga retreated to a rear bus seat in an effort to hide from scrutiny. She didn't want anyone to hear the words she felt when she spoke them out loud. Sneaking off to the back of the bus to hug her locket, she whispered the words she felt to her locket instead of the boy. "I love you, love, love you, Football-Head!" a giddy Helga whispered to her locket while squeezing it in a crushing embrace.

Arnold carried the Christmas present home with him. Gerald had ridden the bus side-by-side with him, and now his best friend paused on the street corner to ruffle through a small backpack he had begun wearing not long ago.

"Here you go, Arnold!" Gerald said setting a green, square box on top of Helga's rectangular one. "I got you a little somethin'! Here's a present from me! I hope you like it, man. Merry Christmas!"

"Wow, thanks Gerald!" Arnold said.

"I'll come by and visit you tomorrow. Maybe we can go down to the arcade or something." Gerald promised.

"Okay!" Arnold beamed. He and Gerald parted with their friendship thumb shake.

Almost skipping, Arnold rushed into his house. He plopped his schoolbooks down then carefully arranged his two new presents under the tree. As he crawled around under the tree's lowermost branches, Arnold counted the number of presents looking at the tags.

"Hm," Arnold muttered to himself. "That makes two. I wonder where my present from Grandpa and Grandma is?" Arnold strode into the kitchen. There, the sight of an appliance salesman unloading a refrigerator met his eyes. His Grandpa Phil was overseeing its transfer to the kitchen in exchange for their old one. The old one was battered and dented and held together with duct tape. The delivery man tied the old fridge onto his cart and rolled it away out the back door, leaving the new one in its place.

"Oh, hi Grandpa, said Arnold with great curiosity. "Grandpa? What's going on?"

"Oh! Oh, um, hello Shortman!" Grandpa Phil flinched. The elderly man rolled his eyes around. "Well, it's a funny thing, Arnold! You see that brand-spanking new computer equipment you were wanting?"

"Yeah?" Arnold said, so excited he held himself up on his toes. His hair stood on end.

"Well, it's like this, Shortman. The old fridge up and fizzled out! Your Grandma and I had to use all your present money to get a brand-new one. So, you could say that this fridge here, Arnold is your Christmas present!" Grandpa Phil pushed Arnold forward a few steps to stand in front of the refrigerator. Arnold looked at the plain white appliance in horror.

"THIS is my Christmas present?!" Arnold garbled out.

"Yes, Arnold," Arnold's Grandpa said quickly with an oddly cheerful enthusiasm. "And you sure are lucky, boy! We didn't have electrical appliances in every home back in my day, no sir! I know it's not a computer, but this is even better! Now you can have all the cold drinks and icecream you could wish! Here, Arnold, to make up for it we bought you this little set of refrigerator magnets! Festive, isn't it? Look this one here is a candy cane!" Arnold's Grandpa Phil said. He placed a flat, painted magnet on the palm of Arnold's hand. The boy looked at it sadly.

"Hehh!" Arnold said with a deep, heartfelt sigh at last. "Well, at least it could be worse!"

"Hm. That reminds me!" Grandpa Phil said. "Something came in the mail for Arnie! We had 'em put it in the living room for you!" Grandpa Phil announced to Arnie with a frown. Arnold, Grandpa Phil, and Arnie walked into the parlor. An enormous wooden crate had been left in the corner of the room.

"Thanks," Arnie sniffed. Arnold's cousin then used a crowbar that just happened to have lying about to crack open the crate. The box's sides fell away to reveal a stack of colorfully wrapped boxes as tall as Arnold's Christmas tree.

"What's that?!" Arnold gaped.

"Looks like my Christmas presents from home," Arnie sniffed.

"Rrr!" Arnold uttered, his frustration mounting.

"Oh, and there's a letter for you, too!" Grandpa Phil said with grave seriousness. He handed Arnold's cousin a small, plain, paper envelope. Arnie opened it properly, then gave a loud sniff. Arnold could not help but lean over his shoulder.

"What is it?" Arnold asked, tense. Arnie sniffed loudly.

"Looks like Ma and Pa bought me a pony for Christmas. They're keeping it on the farm for me until I come back. I've got to pick a name for it."

"Argh!" Arnold muttered out in renewed grief. He slumped.

The following day, Gerald strolled casually into the boarding house through its rear, kitchen door. His confident swagger came to a stop when he spotted Arnold slumped with one cheek pressed against the refrigerator door. A few Christmas magnets were hung all around the door at Arnold's height.

"Um, what are you doing?" Gerald said glancing at the dejected boy. Gerald kept his hands pulled back a little in shock. Arnold had small circles under his eyes and his hair was tousled.

"Playing with my Christmas present," Arnold argued.

"Okay…." Gerald elaborated as he rolled his eyes backwards. "Look, Arnold, maybe we should go outside to play! Wanna go to the park?"

"Yeah. I do," Arnold said leveraging himself up from his dejected slump. He and Gerald made for the rear door. But then Arnold flinched as he heard a loud sniff.

"Where are you going?" asked Arnie.

"Out," Arnold said between gritted teeth.

"Can I come?" Arnie snorted.

"If you want," Arnold forced himself to say. But the boy looked very cross.

Arnold stamped as much as walked down the street. But when he and Gerald made their way into Lark's Park, Arnold's annoyance had cooled a little. Instead of glowering at Arnie or clenching his fists, he stared into the park ahead of him with eagerness. A few of his friends were pelting each other with snowballs. Helga and Phoebe, as well as Rhonda and Nadine, were standing at the boundary of a small winter festival inside the park. Ice and snow sculptures made by grown-ups were being judged for award ribbons. A local vendor was selling hot drinks while children younger than themselves were using a small snowslide made in the packed snow. A fire-juggler had set herself up at an intersection of crosswalks despite the coat-weather. Soon, all of the P.S. 118 kids gathered around her to clap, cheer, and enjoy the show. Sid and Stinky had appeared, too.

"Let's go look at the lake!" Sid said pointing at the frozen body of water ahead. He jogged down the sidewalk to it, then stroked a hand across the surface of the pond.

"It LOOKS frozen to me," said Sid.

"But we don't know that yet, stupid!" Harold griped. "Not until the grownups say so!"

"How do they know that?" Sid asked.

"Argh! We drill a sample of the core, laddies!" Uncle announced with an ice-boring tool in hand. "Ye can skate on this pond, lad! It's safe. But stay ye away from the larger lakes, Laddies! The weather hasn't been cold enough yet to freeze the deep water! Ye don't want to mess with pneumonia nor hypothermia, either! Wait ye, a couple of weeks before ice-fishing! Arrr!"

Uncle Earl moved away. But Arnold hadn't been paying attention to this conversation between the other boys and and the grizzled old man. Instead, he was staring half-heartedly into the distance. Arnie was at the far end of the far examining a snow sculpture of a pig.

"Hey, Arnold!" said Gerald peering through the center of a snow sculpture shaped like a giant donut. "Some of these sculptures are pretty neat! Do you wanna look around?"

"Nah. I think I'll go home for now. But you have a good time, Gerald," Arnold spoke, his hands deep in his pockets. He pulled one of hands free from his pockets to wave. Then, while Arnie was distracted, Arnold made his way back home through the crunchy snow. Heavy-hearted, Arnold sat down on his stoop. He heard a squeal around his heels then looked down to spot Abner.

"Squeee-squeee!" Abner said, overjoyed to see him. Abne wiggled his curly pig tail. Arnold lifted Abner to see him better.

"Good boy, Abner!" Abner said setting the pig down to stroke his head. "Do you wanna go for a walk, boy? Just you and me?"

"Oink, oink!" Abner squealed in agreement. He wagged his curly tail some more.

Arnold found Abner's leash. He walked Abner far, far, far along the sidewalks of Hillwood. Arnold found himself at the much larger Hillwood Lake, where Big Caesar lived. He folded his arms behind his back and simply stared, looking deep into nature to seek peace. But Arnold's inner peace was about to be interrupted when he heard a loud sniff behind him.

"What are you doing here? Sniff!" Arnold picked up Abner's leash up high and glowered.

"Argh! Trying to get away from you!" Arnold spat with anger. "Can't I get five minutes peace by myself?! You ruin EVERYTHING!" Arnold stated rudely. The boy was about to stomp off when a brown cat streaked by. Abner bolted after it with a dog-like bark.

"Roaf, roaf, roaf!" Abner barked at the cat. It hissed and scrabbled away. Arnold ran after the pig. The cat had lost him, but the pink pig now stood out on the ice spreading out from the riverbank.

"Abner!" Arnold shouted with a hand outstretched towards his favorite pet. But Abner trotted even further out towards the open water. Arnold was about to set foot on the ice when he felt a hand jerk his shirt backwards.

"Don't go out there!" Arnie stated flatly. His eyes blinked one at a time in their odd fashion. As silly as he looked, the boy was as serious as ever.

"Go away!" Arnold snapped. "I have to save Abner!" Arnold scooted away out onto the ice. But not heeding Arnie's advice was a very bad idea, for as Arnold neared his favorite pet pig, there was the sound of ice cracking under foot.

"Uh-oh!" Arnold said. He paled as he realized his temper was about to cut his family size down from one orphan to extinct.

But just then, a lasso loop wrapped snuggly around Arnold's middle. Arnold was yanked backwards onto the safety of the shorebank just as the sheet of ice where had been standing splintered apart. Arnie had lassoed Arnold with a plain brown rope just in time to save him from a watery grave.

From the shoreline, Arnold looked towards the river with horror. Abner had been out there! But the small pig drifted back to the shore on a tiny ice flotsam just wide enough for his feet. The pig leapt into Arnold's arms waggling his tail.

"Abner!" Arnold said snuggling his favorite pet pig against him in a hug. Then he turned to his cousin.

"Arnie… I yelled at you so rudely. Yet you saved me… I'm sorry. I guess I was just angry because I was jealous. But I'm glad you were here. Really, really, glad," Arnold said brushing the snow off his pants before it could melt into the fabric to make him cold. Arnie sniffed.

"It's alright," Arnie said. "I know I'm not your favorite person. But we're family."

"Family. Right," said Arnold sharing a handshake with his odd cousin. He smiled before his odd cousin embraced him.

"Well, that's more than enough fresh air for now!" Arnold coughed, feeling very awkward as he peered over Arnie's shoulder. "Let's go home!"

Arnold walked Abner back to the house. The lights were on inside the house. Gerald was seated on the couch in the living room in front of the television beside Ernie Potts.

"Arnold? Where have you all been?" Arnold's best friend said. "I called your house like three times! How long does it take to walk a pig?!" Gerald looked cross.

"I had a lot of things to work out," said Arnold taking off his shoes. "Do you wanna go up to my room?"

"Do you wanna play checkers?" Gerald guessed.

"Nah, I was thinking a board game. Arnie do you wanna play, too?" Arnold asked with an honest effort of friendship.

"Sure," Arnie said blinking one eye at a time.

"Huh?" Gerald said before pulling Arnold aside to whisper in his ear. "Why are you getting along so well with your cousin all of a sudden?"

"My bad mood wore off," Arnold said with a shrug. "And really, Gerald. He is my cousin. I should appreciate that he's come to visit me for Christmas. In fact I should appreciate all those I have in my life, Gerald. Like you. You're a really good friend. When I think about all that, well, I realize that I'm lucky."

"Well, thanks for saying so, man," Gerald shrugged. "What board game do you wanna play?"

"Oh!" Arnold said with a jolt. "It's in the parlor! You guys go up to my room. I'll catch up!" Arnold promised. Arnold tromped down the hall into the parlor with its couch and T.V. There, Arnold stopped before a little table just big enough to place a lamp on. Arnold swung open a little door on the front of this lampstand to reveal a short stack of bulky board games. Arnold selected a game from the top. But before Arnold turned about completely to leave the room, Arnold's eyes fell on the two presents he had received from his friends. Arnold shook the box he had received from Gerald for a Christmas present. Then he picked up the small, rectangular package he had received from Helga.

"Hm," said Arnold peering all around him. When he was sure no one was looking, Arnold peeled back a corner of the wrapping paper to peek inside.

"Huh! A set of drawing pencils!" Arnold stated blandly. "A little simple. But it's a thoughtful gift, I guess. I do draw a lot," Arnold said folding the edge of the wrapping paper back to look as if he hadn't opened his present early. Arnold was about to put the package back under the tree when he reoriented it. There, on what had been the bottom of the gift, he found a card in an envelope fixed to the present with tape. Arnold pried open the greeting card that had been fixed to the front of the package. The card's interior read a plain and boring "Merry Christmas" with no name recorded. But then Arnold flipped over the card's envelope and his eyes widened. There on the back in very faint but oily lipgloss was a faint impression. Arnold smirked with content when he realized that Helga's simple gift to him had been sealed with a kiss. With a smile, Arnold tore off the envelope and card and stuffed it in his back pocket. He walked out into the hall to spot his Grandma.

"Welcome home, Arnold!" Grandma Pookie said. "I hope you're hungry tonight, Arnold! I'm making grilled cheese and bologna sandwiches!"

"Sounds great, Grandma!" Arnold said launching himself around his Grandmother's ankles for a quick hug. Arnold walked further down the hall towards his room.

"Are you coming, man!" Gerald shouted irritably from down the first flight stair. "It's taking you, like, forever!"

"I'm on my way, Gerald!" Arnold said walking up the staircase with the board game in hand. Soon, Arnold was seated on the carpet of his room. He rolled a pair of dice out onto a cardboard playing board, then moved a tiny plastic playing piece across the board.

"Your turn, Gerald!" Arnold smiled softly as his best friend rolled the dice to take his turn moving his game piece across the board.

"Ha! Take that!" said Gerald grinned.

"Hey, have you kids seen a string of Christmas lights?" said Arnold's Grandpa Phil scratching the top of his head as he propped open the door to Arnold's room. "They seem to have disappeared somewhere."

As Arnold's Grandpa scratched his head further, Arnold's pet pig Abner ran round Phil's ankles with a string of red and green Christmas lights in his mouth.

"Oooh! Ya darn pig!" Grandpa Phil flustered and shook his fist as the pig snorted with joy. It scampered away out of sight. "Dang-nabbit!" Arnold's Grandpa complained as he pulled the door to Arnold's room shut.

Arnold said nothing. He was still wrapped up in the boardgame. But he remained smiling as the soft winter snow fell from above onto his rooftop until one could no longer see through the windowpanes. The end.


End file.
